Augustinian Canons Regular Monastery: Abbazia di Novacella

The Augustinian Canons Regular monastery, known as Abbazia di Novacella in Italian and the Augustiner Chorrherrenstit Neustift in German, is located near Varna/Vahrn. Founded in 1142, this is the largest monastery complex in the whole of Tyrol. Designed in a holistic way, Novacella has been self-sufficient and versatile from the outset. The monastery was once a hospice and refuge for pilgrims. Today Novacella runs several enterprises, all of which are economically self-supporting: they range from agriculture to viticulture, from an herb garden to the monastery winery, from power plant to education center.

The monastery’s architecture features an eclectic mix of elements from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Comprising the Castel Sant’Angelo or Engelsburg (Eng: Castle of the Holy Angel), a late Baroque basilica, a Gothic cloister, the Fountain of Wonders, a library with unique manuscripts, and the historical Pinokothek art gallery, Novacella ranks among the most noteworthy attractions of Isarco/Eisack Valley. The best minds in science, art, philosophy and theology were educated at the monastery school, and the extensive monastery library still bears testimony to this preeminence today.


Products
Abbazia di Novacella owns forests, meadows, orchards and vineyards. The monastery winery’s Praepositus line features highly regarded Isarco Valley whites: Sylvaner, Kerner and Gewurztraminer. Its high-quality herbs are also widely known. All of the products made here are available for purchase in the monastery shop, located near the entrance to the complex, together with products from a number of other monasteries in Europe.